Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks: Tom Vickers' big match preview

Saints were top of the table when they lost at Sale back in December

Competition: Gallagher Premiership (round 21)

Venue: Franklin's Gardens, Northampton

Date and kick-off time: Tuesday, September 29, 2020, 5.30pm

Weather: 14c, partly cloudy

Live television coverage: BT Sport 2

Referee: Wayne Barnes

Saints: Furbank; Proctor, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Tuala; Biggar, Mitchell; Iyogun, Matavesi, Franks; Ribbans, Ratuniyarawa; Lawes, Ludlam (c), Adendorff.

Replacements: Fish, Seville, Painter, Isiekwe, Harrison, Gibson, Taylor, Naiyaravoro.

Sale Sharks: L James; van Rensburg, S James, Tuilagi, Hammersley; R du Preez, de Klerk; Harrison, Langdon, Oosthuizen; Wiese, JL du Preez; Ross (c), T Curry, D du Preez.

Replacements: Van der Merwe, Morozov, Cooper-Woolley, Phillips, Nield, Cliff, MacGinty, Yarde.

Outs: Saints: Francois van Wyk (knee), Nick Auterac (hip flexor), Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (achilles), Alex Coles (ankle), Tom Collins (foot), Harry Mallinder (knee), Ollie Sleightholme (hamstring), Piers Francis (shin), Connor Tupai (wrist), Alex Waller (achilles), Tom Wood (pulmonary embolism), Mike Haywood.

Most recent meeting: Saturday, December 21, 2020: Sale Sharks 22 Saints 10 (Gallagher Premiership)

Tom's preview: If you can't join them, beat them.

That will be the message at Saints this week as they attempt to put a spanner in the Sale Sharks works.

Ten games ago, this match looked like an inevitable shootout in the race for the top four.

But, sadly for Saints, who have fallen away so badly, their chances of reaching the Gallagher Premiership play-offs went up in smoke some time ago.

Now, they take on a Sharks side who will be bearing their teeth in the bid to continue their title charge.

And it's a tough prospect for a Saints team who have lost their past six matches at Franklin's Gardens, and 11 of their last 13 home and away.

But it shouldn't be forgotten that back in December, when Saints travelled to Sale, it was Chris Boyd's side who were looking down on the opposition.

Saints went into the game at the AJ Bell Stadium sitting pretty at the top of the Premiership standings, while Sale were struggling for consistency.

It has been a quite incredible reversal of fortunes since that day, when Sale prevailed in a typically gritty encounter.

Saints have lost all of the momentum they built up before the slide started against London Irish in late January.

But Sale have kept pushing on and now appear to have a team that is capable of competing for the title.

A tough pack is backed up by some very lively and powerful backs.

The Sharks have world class scrum-half Faf de Klerk providing the ammunition for the likes of Manu Tuilagi and Rohan Janse van Rensburg.

They are certainly capable of playing the power game.

But let's not also forget that in February 2019 it was they who suffered a sensational 67-17 defeat in Northampton as Saints ran riot.

The Sharks have certainly evolved since then while Saints have not progressed at the same pace.

But what it shows is that this Saints squad has, in the past, been able to call the shots against Sale.

And Saints have to hold on to that belief this week.

They really need to find a way to finish this season on a high, to give themselves a platform to build on.

The 2020/21 fixtures are out on Tuesday morning and with such a short turnaround between seasons, momentum is vital.

They have to get that winning feeling back in the dressing room - and they have to do it this week.

Because while these games may seem unimportant in the great scheme of things, it shouldn't be underestimated just how much they need a shot in the arm.

And knocking Sale out of the play-off picture would certainly give them that.

Tom's prediction: Predicting Saints wins has not paid off at all for many months now, but that terrible home run has to end soon, surely? I'm backing Chris Boyd's men to get it done on Tuesday night. Saints 25 Sale Sharks 22.